Eminem Cover: ‘Not Afraid’ 12-Year-Old Rapper With Osteogenesis Imperfecta Goes Viral [Video]

A 12-year-old rapper has gone viral with his cover of the Eminem song “Not Afraid.” Sparsh Shah of New Jersey, who goes by his rapper name of Purhythm, recorded a mind-blowing cover of the Eminem hit, and it’s gone viral. The YouTube video now has well over 800,000 views, and when you check it out, you’ll know why. No matter your musical genre of choice, this Eminem cover is probably going to make you tear up. Check it out.

So why are people so blown away by the 12-year-old’s viral Eminem cover? It’s not just because of Sparsh Shah’s talent, which is profound. It’s also because the 12-year-old suffers from a rare genetic disorder known as osteogenesis imperfecta. The disorder, often known as brittle bone disease, is incurable. Sufferers have bones that are extremely fragile and brittle, reports the Huffington Post. The 12-year-old Eminem fan suffers from a particularly debilitating form of the disease. According to his YouTube page, a hard handshake is enough to result in broken bones.

Because of his condition, the 12-year-old Eminem singer requires a wheelchair to get around.

Sparsh has called Eminem his “idol,” and when Eminem himself heard about the cover of “Not Afraid,” his label Shady Records shouted out to the 12-year-old cover artist on social media to pay their respects.

This adorable kid's cover of @Eminem's "Not Afraid" is really inspiring. https://t.co/jftIV6mBhV pic.twitter.com/Ag09xsEJTI

— Pigeons & Planes (@PigsAndPlans) February 24, 2016

Twelve-year-old Sparsh has suffered from 125 broken bones so far, but he refuses to let his disease define his life. Rather, fractures are just background noise. The “Not Afraid” cover singer, who has won over so many hearts, has also written 1o original songs in his 12 years. He also writes short stories and speeches and is well known for performing at events all over his New Jersey community.

Sparsh has also memorized all 250 known digits of Pi and learned to spell the word “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis” by the time he reached his sixth birthday.

The “Not Afraid” Eminem cover was released on the 12-year-old’s YouTube account back in January, reports Radio.com. According to Sparsh, he added his own “classical touch” to the iconic rap song. The 12-year-old also told fans that “Not Afraid” became his “power song” the first time he heard it. It was also at that time that Eminem became his “idol in the rap genre.” The 12-year-old says that Eminem’s song and lyrics (minus curses) are powerful and inspire him “so much.” Sparsh expressed a heartfelt desire to meet Eminem at some point in the future and to sing or even rap with the megastar.

Ultimately, the 12-year-old “Not Afraid” singer says that he wants to inspire not millions but “billions” of people with his talent, going on to say that he wishes that “dream comes true.”

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a rare disorder. It impacts between 20-50,000 people in the United States, according to the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation. The nature of the disease varies, and there are eight different types which vary in severity. Osteogenesis imperfecta Type II is the most severe form of the disease, and it is generally lethal at or shortly after birth. Sufferers of osteogenesis imperfecta may have just a few bone fractures in their life, or they, like the 12-year-old Eminem cover artist, may suffer a hundred, several hundred, or more.

The most common form of the disease, inherited by the “Not Afraid” cover artist, is Type I. Fortunately, it is also the mildest and easiest to live with. It is the result of lack of collagen in the body; while the formation of the collagen (the major protein of the body’s connective tissue and needed for strong bones) is normal, the amount is less than desirable.

There has been no official word from Eminem regarding whether the “Not Afraid” cover is going to score Sparsh Shah a singing gig with the original artist.

[Image Courtesy Of Screengrab/Youtube]